Melody of the Heart
by Juxapose4ever
Summary: A unique fanfic. Combining Harvest Moon: Save The Homeland and Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life to present a fanfic about choices, and healing. After the main character od AWL has abandoned the farm, the Main character of STH takes over in his place.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

In a small valley about 5 miles away from a small village called Mineral Town, a young man arrives with only the clothes on his back, and a rucksack full of tools. He gazes over the beautiful new settlement known as Forget-Me-Not Valley, and sighs. He has been traveling for some time, looking for this vast valley to take up a job offer he heard of recently.

The man is named Hiro, age 21. Before he arrived in the valley, he used to work in his grandfather's farm in a village called Homeland. Feeling that he needs a new place to live, he heard of a farm that needs someone to work on it. He has over a year of experience under his belt, so he left his grandfather's farm, and moved to Forget-Me-Not Valley to start a new life.

As he heads towards the farm in the middle of the valley, he passes by another farm, In the farm, a young woman notices the new face walking around the valley. The young man's well groomed long brown tied up hair catches her attention. Hiro is a handsome young man, but because he likes to keep his hair long, he sometimes has people staring at him. The sleeves of his white shirt are tied up, showing off lean muscles that he got from working in the old farm. Like many farmers, Hiro wears heavy carpenter jeans with suspenders, red and black gloves to protect his hands, high work boots, and a red bandanna around his neck. He wears a blue and yellow cap on his head that used to belong to his father who is also a farmer. From the front of the hat, three long strands of bangs stick out in different directions.

The directions on his map are very clear, so he arrives at the farm quickly. He takes a good look around and nods in appreciation. He finds a large barn that can hold many animals in the middle of the property. Next to the barn is a huge pasture, with a single cow grazing on the grass. He finds two houses in the property, one close by, and another in the distance. The distant house has three plots of dirt that is used for growing crops. From where he is standing at, all three plots are of different quality, ranging from fertile to low quality. He also finds a chicken coop beyond the farm, and a tall building close by.

As Hiro look over the property, an older man walks out of the house close by. It takes him only a moment to notice Hiro standing by the entrance of the farm. He approaches him curiously and says, "Hi there young man, can I help you?"

Hiro looks at the old man for a moment. By the looks of him, he looks like your typical old man. He has a grumpy look on his wrinkled face, black poorly groomed hair, over sized eye brows, and his eyes were barely open enough to see. He has a huge slouch, which gives Hiro the impression that he has some sort of back injury. Like himself, he wears heavy jeans, high boots, and a towel around his neck which serves the same purpose as Hiro's bandanna.

Hiro nods and replies, "Hi, my name is Hiro. I came because I heard that you needed a farmer?"

"Ah yes. I was wondering if anyone was going to take the job. It's been about a year since the last farmer left. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Takakura. I help take care of the farm. Usually shipping and other small jobs."

Takakura walks off towards the other house. Hiro nods and follows him. Takakura then opens the door to the house, and allows Hiro to enter. Hero finds the house to be quite cozy, maybe a bit too big for his taste. The den has a decent sized television set, but it is rather old. There are two bedrooms in the house, a full sized kitchen with a washroom and bathroom.

After the small tour of the home, Hiro asks, "So, what happened to the past owner?"

Takakura nods, but he doesn't answer immediately. He moves to a nearby window, and stares out into the distance for a good minute. The look on his face tells Hiro that the story he is about to tell is not exactly a joyful one. But he sighs and begins, "My original partner died some time ago. He left the farm to his only son, but that boy wasn't interested in it. He only remained in the farm for only a year, then he left to pursue other goals. Ever since then, I have been looking after the farm. But I am old, and I need a younger person to take over."

"I see." answered Hiro. He wanted to say something to him, but he knows that he should just keep quiet.

Takakura sighs for a moment, then turns to Hiro and says, "If you want, the farm is yours now. I still have a few years left in me, so I'll help you out for a while. I just only hope that you'll decide to stay."

Hiro nods. He was expecting some sort of red tape to earn the right to the farm, like an interview. But for some odd reason, Takakura is just handing the farm over to him.

Takakura shows him around the farm. Since Hiro is already experienced in farming and animal care, the tour didn't take long at all. Afterwards, Takakura took Hiro out around town to have a look around.

During the tour, Hiro met a lot of people. Some of them were attractive young women who live around the valley. One of them is a tomboyish read head who happens to be a traveler. Then he met a lovely blond woman who works at a bar. Later, he was properly introduced to the young girl who works at the farm Hiro passed by earlier. Another girl that he met was a young woman who works at a dig site by the mountain.

He met a lot of new friendly faces, and saw many strange and unusual places. However, what caught his attention the most is a huge mansion at the top of a hill. The mansion looks like if a very rich person lives there. But Takakura told Hiro that the old woman who lives at the mansion had recently died. He is not sure if anyone lives there anymore since the place has been locked up for a while.

After the tour, Hiro returns to his new home, and rests for the day. The work for the day is already done, and Hiro is tired from his long travel to the valley. So he tosses himself onto his bed, and falls asleep quickly.

The next day, he opens up his rucksack, and starts unpacking his tools. Along with his tools, he also brought a small number of possessions that he cannot let go. One of them is a framed photograph of himself and a younger girl. Even though the photograph makes him feel sad, he doesn't have the heart to get rid of it. So he places it into the bookshelf between some books that were left by the previous owner.

After he gathered up his tools, he leaves the house, and begins his new life in the farm. Like clockwork, he starts off by planting crops in the plots of dirt. This was a challenge for him, since the valley's seasons are a bit different than Homeland. Because of the changing of the seasons, different crops grow at different seasons. In Homeland, it is relatively warm all year long, so he is able to grow anything anytime. Using the notes left behind in the house, he is able to buy the proper seeds, and plant them in the proper plots of land.

Afterwards, he starts with the cow. There is only a single brown cow in the farm, but it's a good start. Usually, Hiro starts with a chicken. But the cow he now has came with the farm, so he isn't complaining. He can buy chickens and more cows later on if he wishes.

After the tasks of the farm are done, Hiro heads out to the valley to pick other things he can sell. In the wild, herbs and flowers grow begging to be picked. He also got a part time job at the dig site, and found some valuable coins and crystals. The tool shed had a fishing rod, so Hiro also did some fishing.

At 3:00pm, Hiro's rucksack is getting overstuffed with stuff to sell. In Homeland, Hiro is used to selling his goods directly to the shop owners for money. However, there are few shops in the valley, and none of them buys directly from him. So instead, he decides to set up a shop next to the inn of the valley where he sells to the other passing villagers.

Because Hiro is experience with selling as well as farming, Hiro is able to round up a good crowd to buy his milk, herbs, fish, and other goods. But as he is selling, he has caught the attention of a young girl who is living inside the inn. She looks out the window, and watches him closely. She has never met this new face before, but there is something about him that interests her. Curious to get to know the newcomer of the valley, the girl exits the inn, and approaches Hiro's shop.

As Hiro is distracted by the other customers, the girl picks up the flowers that Hiro laid out for display. As soon as Hiro gets a free moment, she asks, "Excuse me, but how much are these flowers?"

At that moment, Hiro's brown eyes met her amber colored eyes for the first time. During yesterday's tour, Hiro thought he met everybody, but he was proven wrong with this other girl. Hiro doesn't know exactly why, but there is something about the way she looks and stands that catches his interest. She is about his age, and a bit shorter than he is. Her light brown shoulder length hair sways in the gentle breeze of the valley. Her olive green and forest green plaid dress looks more elegant than the rest of the valley. Her gold colored hair band, the orange bandanna around her neck, and the flowers in her arms give off a cute and innocent charm. Out of all the girls in the valley, Hiro finds this young woman to be the most attractive. But there's something else about her that Hiro cannot pinpoint at that moment.

Hiro snaps out of his daze, and realizes that this young woman, is waiting for an answer. He looks at the flowers that he had picked earlier and responds, "Well, back in my hometown, I used to sell them for 5 bucks each. But I guess I can knock off a little. How's about 20 bucks for the flowers?"

The young girl smiles and pays for the flowers. She then asks, "May I ask for your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." he said sheepishly. "My name is Hiro, I just moved into the farm yesterday."

The young girl bows gracefully at Hiro and says, "My name is Lumina. It was a pleasure to meet you."

After they greet each other for the first time, Lumina returns to the inn where she places the flowers she just bought in a vase full of water. Hiro continues to sell the rest of his goods. About an hour later, he is done selling all of his goods, and he packs up for the day. But for the rest of the day, that girl that he met earlier remains stuck in his head.

The next day, Hiro leaves the house, and is about to start another day of work. But just as he is leaving the house, Takakura stops him and asks, "Hey there Hiro! I noticed this morning that you had nothing in the shipping crate. Is something wrong?"

Hiro looks at him awkwardly and asks, "Shipping crate? We have one of those here?"

"Indeed we do." answered Takakura. He the takes him to the store room where he finds the shopping crates where Hiro was supposed to place the milk and crops he collected through the day. Takakura explained that usually, Hiro would deposit the milk, eggs, crops and fish into the bin, and Takakura takes them to Mineral town every morning, and pays him when he gets back. Hiro nods joyfully, since he doesn't have to sell everything manually like he did before, that leaves him extra time to do other things, like make friends with the villagers.

Hiro continues on to do his chores after getting briefed about shipping and ordering new animals from the store room. Because he only has a cow to take care of, and a few plants, he gets done very early. So instead of tackling the village for wild sellable goods, he decides to go for a tea break.

As Hiro is preparing tea, Lumina decides to pay a visit to the farm. She finds Takakura, and asks him if Hiro was in. He tells her that she can find Hiro in the house preparing tea. As she approaches his home, she begins to get butterflies in her stomach. She knows that what she's about to do may seem crazy to most people. But even so, she knows that it's her duty to do it anyway. So she gathers up her courage, and knocks on Hiro's door.

Hiro answers only a moment later. He is shocked to find the girl that he met yesterday in his farm. They greet formally, but there was a strange feeling coming from her. He is unsure why she came to his home so suddenly, but there is a look on her face that tell him that she has something on his mind. So he invites her inside, and offers her some tea.

There was a moment of silence as Hiro places a cup of tea in front of her. She seems to be embarrassed for some reason, Hiro knows she wants to say something. After a few minutes of silence, Hiro decides to take initiative and says, "So Lumina, how are the flowers?"

"They're great. They give my room a bit more color, and the air smells nice." she answered nervously.

The idle chit chat wasn't getting them anywhere. After taking a sip of his tea, Hiro decides to ask, "So, is there anything I can help you with? You look like you need something."

Lumina fidgets with her fingers for a moment, then answers, "Well, I kinda need a favor. It's a really big favor, so you can turn it down if you like."

"A favor? What kind of favor?" asked Hiro.

"Well, you see. . . I was wondering if maybe. . . We could have an arranged marriage?"

"Oh I see. Is that it?" responded Hiro. He then takes a drink of his tea. It takes him a second to realize what Lumina is asking of him. Shocked to realize it, Hiro chokes on his tea, and starts coughing like crazy.

Lumina stands up in a panic and asks, "Hiro, are you okay!?"

After coughing a few more times, he says, "Yeah, but. . . Did you just say an arranged marriage??"

Lumina nods. The silence returns, Hiro stares at Lumina in shock, while she just looks down embarrassed that she had just proposed to a guy she had hardly met. Neither of them know what to say to one another. Marriage was the last thing Hiro ever thought that she would ever talk about, let alone ask for it.

**To be continued.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Things remain quiet for some time. Hiro is still in shock to hear that Lumina has basically proposed to him. And Lumina is embarrassed out of her mind. At this moment, she feels that it may have been a bad choice to have asked so suddenly. However, she doesn't know if she had much of a choice in the matter. She knows that she needs to do this as soon as possible.

After a while has passed, Hiro clears his throat and thinks for a moment. He knows that nobody asks for marriage unless that there is a very good reason for it, or she has completely lost her mind. Rather than making assumptions, he asks, "Lumina, why on earth do you want to have an arranged marriage?"

Lumina doesn't know what to say to him. She thought that she had the words before she arrived at his farm, but she can't let out what she wants to say. Rather than saying nothing at all, she pulls out a letter from her pocket, and slides it on the table towards Hiro.

Hiro takes the opened letter, and takes a look inside. Inside the envelope, he finds a letter that explains why does she need to get married so quickly. The letter reads:

_Dear Lumina,_

_If you are reading this letter, then it means that the flames of my live has faded away, and I've passed on to the next life leaving you all alone. As you may already know, you are the last living member of our family bloodline. Your mother and father has tragically passed away when you were only a little girl, and you were left in my care. You are now a full grown woman, ready to carry on our family inheritance.  
__However, I've grown concerned about your romantic life as you've grown older. As the member of our family, it is your duty to get married, and give life to a child that will pass on the family bloodline. I had high hopes in your relationship with the boy from the inn, but that ended too soon. With so few people that you can meet in Forget-Me-Not Valley, I worry that you may remain single, and never continue our bloodline.  
__I wanted to have an arranged marriage performed, but I am too old, and I do not have enough time to live to handle the lengthy paperwork. So instead, I'm going to ask you to find a husband on your own. Please find a good man who is kind and generous who will honor our family, and make us proud.  
__This may seem cruel or cold, but I have asked Sebastian to take over the family business, and ask you to leave the villa so you may go on a journey to find the perfect husband. Until you find a good husband, I cannot allow you to inherit the family heirlooms. Please understand that this is for the benefit of both yourself and the family._

_I wish you good fortune,_

_Your grandmother, Romana._

After reading the letter, Hiro takes a deep breath and sighs. He then looks at Lumina, who's face is still red in embarrassment. He hardly knows what to say to her, the situation is unique, and they both have no idea what to do in this case.

"So, your grandmother needs you to get married?" Hiro asks stating the obvious. Lumina nods, but she remains silent. "How long ago did your grandmother die, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Summer of last year." she responds shyly.

Hiro sighs again, and says, "I get it. It's been pretty close to a year since you got this, and you're not married yet. But I have to ask, why me?"

Lumina fidgets with her fingers nervously for a while. Hiro knows that she's quite speechless at the moment, so he gives her enough time to calm herself before answering. "Well, you see Hiro. I have the impression that you are a nice, gentle, and generous guy. I know that I acted a bit rash to ask you so suddenly. But for some odd reason, I feel that you would make a good husband. Someone that would make my mother, father, and grandmother happy in heaven."

Taking a second look at the letter, Hiro scratches his head in confusion, and asks, "Something in this letter tells me that you're from a well known family. What's the deal with that?"

Lumina nods and says, "Yes, I am from the Starlynn family. My family has done important business with other well known groups and families."

"Yes, I think I've heard of the Starlynn family." said Hiro. "But this doesn't make sense. I thought high class families only marries other high class families. I'm just a simple farmer. How on earth did you get the idea that I would make your relatives happy?"

"Well, it is our family tradition to wed with non-exalted families. My father married my mother who was a daughter of a fisherman. This union of different classes shows that we do not discriminate on a person's wealth or rank. We believe that everyone is equal, and should be treated that way."

Hiro smiles at Lumina and says, "That's quite noble of your family to believe in that. But. . ." Hiro then returns Lumina's letter and says, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you Lumina. I don't want to be a part of this arranged marriage business."

Lumina takes the letter back, and sighs sadly. "I understand. You must think I am strange for coming to your home, and asking such a strange request. I apologize for troubling you."

"Please don't misunderstand Lumina." responded Hiro. "I think your a kind and good natured person. But I just don't know you at all. We only met yesterday after all."

"So, if we do get to know each other. . . Then will you change your mind?" asked Lumina.

Hiro is quite amazed that Lumina has not given up on him just yet. But because of the unique situation, there is no way that he could predict what Lumina may do or say next. "Um, I guess. Maybe if we learn to like one another, then it may be possible in the future. But it will take a lot of time."

Lumina then stands up, and bows gracefully at Hiro. "Very well then. I will do my best to get to know you, and I hope that you will try to get to know me as well. Now if you would excuse me, I will need return to my room to make preparations."

Lumina then heads out. But before she walks out the door, Hiro asks, "Um, Lumina, what do you mean by 'preparations'?"

"Preparations for us to get to know each other!" she said cheerfully as she walks out the front door. But even though Lumina has told him that, Hiro isn't quite sure what she meant. He assumes that she meant that she'll be coming over a lot, and talking about each other's likes and interests. Thinking about it for a while, he feels that maybe Lumina may be going about it the wrong way.

After Lumina leaves the farm, he walks over to the living room where he can go to the bookshelf. He then pulls out the framed photograph of himself standing next to a young girl. As flashes of memories fill his mind, he says to himself, "An arranged marriage huh? Kinda reminds me of what happened to you. . ." He then remains quiet for the rest of the afternoon holding the photograph in his hands. The photograph causes him a lot of sadness, but he can't let it go. He always wants to remember the girl in the photograph, and keep her in his heart.

The next day, Hiro goes off for another day on the farm. After dealing with the chores, he goes off to forage for random items he can find in the wild. Takakura told him that he cannot put flowers, herbs, and other like goods in the shipping bin, so he'll need to sell them himself.

However, he found that Van had already set up his shop next to the inn. He learns that Van comes to sell his own random goods every day that ends in either a 3 or an 8. Hiro feels disappointed that he cannot sell his own goods, but he can always try again tomorrow.

Van is selling some apples that he brought from another town. Apples are Hiro's favorite fruits, so he takes advantage, and buys a few. He feels quite fortunate, because the apples contain seeds he can use to grow in his farm. The apple seeds that the nearby farm sells are a bit expensive, and he cannot afford them just yet. But since Van has sold him some apples, he can use the seeds from them instead.

Hiro returns to his farm chomping down on an apple. But as he walks around the pasture taking a look at the green healthy pasture, he hears Lumina's voice call him. He's been almost expecting her visit, especially since what she told him yesterday.

He then turns around, and faces Lumina so he can greet her. However, as he is saying hi, he notices something unusual. Lumina has brought with her some luggage filled with her possessions. Almost as if she is going somewhere.

"Okay, I'm ready!" said Lumina.

"Ready? For what?" asked Hiro just before he takes a bite of his apple.

"To live together!" said Lumina.

Hiro then chokes on his apple out of shock. Lumina drops her luggage, and runs to Hiro who is coughing out a lung, and chunks of apple pieces. "Oh my god! Hiro are you okay?" she asked.

"Okay?" asked Hiro before coughing a few more times. "What do you mean 'Live together'? When did we agree on that?" Hiro then continues to cough for a while. Lumina then brings him into the house where she can get him a glass of water.

They are now back in the kitchen. Hiro is sitting down trying to catch his breath after nearly dying from both shock and choking to death. Lumina is once again embarrassed telling him something unusual which caused him to choke on an apple.

After taking a few deep breaths, Hiro asks, "Okay, what's going on Lumina? When did we agree that we should live together?"

Lumina looks down shamefully, and begins to fidget with her fingers again. She knows very well that she made no arrangements to live with Hiro, but she feels that she has to do this. "Well, we did say that we should get to know each other. What better way to get to know one another than to live under same roof?"

Hiro sighs and says, "This is not what I meant by 'getting to know each other'. I was thinking more like talking to each other every now and then. Start off as friends, and maybe do something of festivals or something. You know, that type of stuff. . ."

Lumina sighs deeply and says, "I know what you're trying to say. But. . ."

Hiro scratches his head, and continues, "Listen Lumina. I know that you need to get married quickly, but I'm afraid that forcing it is not going to help. What would people think if we live together so suddenly?"

"I know. . . But I. . ." Lumina said nervously. She knows what Hiro is trying to tell her, but she was never good at explaining her points. She gets very nervous, and freezes up.

Hiro crosses his arms and finally says, "Lumina, I'm afraid that Ill have to say no. We can't live together. You know just as well as I do that it's not a good thing for two strangers to live in the same home. Think about that may happen if we don't get along at all? If you want to get to know me, then you'll have to do it from your home. Am I making myself clear?"

Lumina nods silently. At this point, she feels that Hiro has already made up his mind, and any relationship with him is impossible. This makes her feel a bit sad and disappointed, but she thought that this may happen. She has already prepared an alternate plan in case this happens.

Afterwards, Lumina stands up and says, "I understand. I deeply apologize for causing you trouble." She then bows at Hiro and says, "Goodbye Hiro. I wish you plenty of luck in your farm. I won't bother you anymore." She then turns around, and heads to the door to leave the farm.

"What do you mean by that? It's almost like if we won't see each other again. I'll come visit you in the mansion when I have some spare time." said Hiro before she leaves.

Lumina turns around and says, "Hiro, did you forget? I don't live in the villa anymore. I've been living at the inn ever since my grandmother passed away."

"I don't see a problem. You live pretty close then, so we should be able to see each other often."

Lumina shakes her head no and says, "Hiro, I already checked out of the inn. Since we can't live together, I'm going to be leaving Forget-Me-Not Valley."

The news shocks Hiro, so he asks, "Why are you leaving Forget-Me-Not Valley?"

"You see Hiro. . . Living at the inn for as long as I already have drained most of the money I had on me. I can no longer wait here until someone else moves into the valley. I'll have to go to another village, and find a job somewhere. And hopefully, a good husband. So that's why, this is farewell. . ."

She then walks out of the house, and closes the door behind her. She feels sad and worried, but she knows that this is something that she must do. She looks up at the clear Spring afternoon, and prepares herself for the long trip to the next town.

At the same time, Hiro sits on his table, and thinks for a moment. He feels pretty bad for Lumina who now has to travel from village to village looking for a good husband. It doesn't take long for him to start to worry about her. He can only imagine Lumina asking some random stranger to marry her. The thought of her getting married with a low life who seems nice floods his mind. He keeps asking what if Lumina finds a guy who will only use her for her family fortune.

Hiro has no obligation to Lumina, but his conscience bothers him too much to allow her to leave. Before he regrets allowing her to leave, he gets off his chair, and runs out of the farm. By now, Lumina has already left the farm, but not the valley. The only pace he thinks of finding her is the path leading outside the valley.

He runs to that direction passing by the farm next door. Just as he thought, he finds Lumina walking out of the same entrance he came in just a few days ago. Without much thought, almost like instinct, Hiro calls out to her. This causes Lumina to stop, and wait for Hiro.

After a minute, Hiro catches up with Lumina. She is confused as to why is he running after her, so she asks, "Hiro? Is anything the matter?"

Hiro takes a moment to regain his breath after running to her. He then says, "Lumina, are you sure that you know what you're going to do out there? Are you sure that you're going to be safe?"

"Well, I am worried about traveling on my own. But I have to do this, for the sake of my family." she answers.

Hiro shakes his head no and responds, "If you're worried, then you shouldn't go. You should just stay here, and search from the valley. Walking around village to village blindly is not the best thing to do. You should think about this a little more, plan ahead!"

"But Hiro, I already told you. I cannot stay here any longer. Until I find a husband, I cannot return home. I already tried to find some form of income in the valley, but I cannot find a job here. So I have to leave." she answers.

Hiro takes a deep breath. He is not sure if this is the most responsible decision to make, but he tells her, "You can stay in my house. I have an extra room you can live in, so if you want, you can stay there."

Lumina gasps cheerfully and yells, "Really?! I can stay in your home?!"

"However. . ." interrupted Hiro. "We are not getting married. I'm just offering you a place to live where you can find a husband. Afterwards, you must return home. Is that a deal?"

Lumina bows and responds, "I understand. Thank you so much Hiro."

**To be continued.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Time passes while Lumina and Hiro live together. The air becomes warmer, the trees are greener, and many villagers are heading to the beach to cool off. Before they realize it, Summer has already arrived.

Hiro continues to do his everyday work. After breakfast, he goes off to work leaving Lumina at home alone to do as she wishes. He then tends his animals that he has bought over time, the crops that bloom in the summer time, and the apple trees that he planted with the seeds he got from Van's apples.

Afterwards, he goes off to the village doing his usual foraging, fishing, and mining. He spends the rest of the day next to the inn selling some goods. He doesn't come home until late in the afternoon around 6:00 pm. Afterwards, Lumina greets him, and they talk while having dinner.

There is no problems between Lumina or Hiro. . . Well, any direct ones anyway. Because Hiro leaves Lumina home alone to do as she wishes, he has no clue as to what she may be doing. They agreed that Lumina can stay so that she may look for a suitable husband. But even after a season has passed, Lumina is no closer to getting married.

One thing that Hiro has noticed over time, is that his house is being cleaned every single day. Lumina has also volunteered to do the cooking in the house. Even though Hiro appreciates the clean house, and Lumina is a fantastic cook, he can only imagine that Lumina has not been making even the smallest effort to find a husband.

Sometime in the middle of Summer, Hiro has set up his shop next to the inn like he usually does. At this moment, two house wives are buying some things from Hiro's shop. Ruby, the owner of the inn buys fresh picked crops from Hiro, while Chris purchases milk and eggs for her family.

"Okay. . . Here's your change." said Hiro after finishing a sale with Chris.

"Thank you very much. Your milk is just fantastic! I bet you take great care of your cows." commented Chris.

Ruby waves at Hiro and says, "Well, we'll be going now. Please say hi to your wife for me!"

"Uh, I'm not married." said Hiro.

"Sure you're not." they said sarcastically. They then walk away saying, "How cute! He's so embarrassed about being married."

Hiro sighs, this has become a common thing lately. Everyone in the valley already knows that Lumina lives with Hiro in the farm. Even though he has tried over and over to explain that they are just friends, everyone just laughs, and still considers him a married man. Even the other single girls see him as married.

After packing up for the day, Hiro returns to his farm. On his way back home, he passes by Takakura's house. He then runs into Takakura who is carrying some extra material he was using to build something in the pasture.

"Good afternoon Hiro." said Takakura in his usual deep tone. "I just finished building the pond like you asked. Hopefully, some ducks can move into the farm. I hear duck eggs can sell for a decent amount."

Hiro smiles and says, "Thanks for your hard work Takakura. I'm sure you did a great job like usual."

Takakura nods, and continues to walk passing him. As he walks home, he says, "Say hi to your wife for me. I need some rest for tomorrow morning."

Hiro turns around and says, "But Takakura, I already told you that me and Lumina are not married."

Takakura then raises his arm and says, "In Forget-Me-Not Valley, you do not need a wedding ceremony to get married."

As Takakura walks away, Hiro lets out another sigh. Just about everybody in the village has gotten the idea that Lumina and him are already married. He turns around and takes a good look at his house. Even though they live in separate rooms, as long as they live together, people will continue to believe that they are married. He then nods, and decides to talk to Lumina about her "Husband Searching".

As soon as he enters his home, he finds his house spotless as usual. He can't even find a trace of dirt, even if he tried. The house has been so thoroughly cleaned, that they could have been no possible way that Lumina even left the house for a moment to look for a husband.

Soon enough, he starts to smell Lumina's great cooking coming from the kitchen. He skips lunch just about every day, so he gets especially hungry as soon as he comes home. As he smells the food, he forgets for a moment about talking to Lumina about her quest.

As soon as Hiro enters the kitchen, he finds Lumina setting a couple of plates of curry on the table, along with some relax tea. For the summer season, she has changed her clothing a bit. Unlike in Spring, she is now wearing lighter clothing so she can stay cooler in the Summer. Like a pure white blouse along with a light blue skirt. She also wears a light pink bandanna around her neck, and a pink hair band.

She then looks at Hiro and says, "Welcome home Hiro. Dinner is now ready."

Without much thought, Hiro sits down, and begins eating. He is not sure if this has become a habit, or if he is just that hungry. But as he is eating, he suddenly remembers about what he plans to talk to Lumina about. He looks up at Lumina, who is also eating, but more gracefully. About this time, they start to talk about random things, mostly about Hiro. This is a tactic Lumina uses to learn a little more about Hiro every day. But today, Hiro wants to talk about something different.

"So, how is the husband search going?" Hiro asks going straight to the point.

Lumina places her fork down, and dabs her lips gently with a napkin saying, "It's going fine I guess. I am having very little luck so far, but maybe soon."

Hiro leers at Lumina suspiciously and says, "Oh really? So tell me, where have you been searching exactly. Visited any nearby villages lately?"

Lumina looks up at Hiro, and notices that he is leering at her. The last thing Lumina was expecting was an interrogation, but she knew it was coming eventually. So she places the napkin down, and says, "Well, I haven't visited any villages directly. But I have been looking through the personal ads in the newspaper. I sent a few letters out, but nobody really interests me yet."

"We do not subscribe to a newspaper." said Hiro. Even tough Lumina is an intelligent and bright girl, Hiro has come to learn that Lumina is a very bad liar.

Lumina sighs sadly, and looks away saying, "The truth is that I haven't been looking. I thought that maybe if we can get to know each other, then there wold be no need for me looking for a husband."

Hiro sighs stressfully and says, "Figures. I was wondering why have you been keeping the house clean, and cooking every day. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything you do."

Lumina blushes and says, "Well, my grandmother did give me bridal training before she passed away. That way, I can become a good bride in the future."

"But even so." interrupted Hiro. "We agreed that you were going to go and look for a husband. Everyone already thinks that we are married."

Lumina begins to fidget with her fingers and says, "Well, why disappoint everyone? If everyone considers us as a couple, then maybe we should become one."

"Nice try Lumina, but I am not ready to be married yet." said Hiro. He then finishes his meal, and places the plate in the sink and says, "Thanks for dinner Lumina, it was great."

Hiro then walks out of the kitchen, and into his bedroom. Lumina remains seated in the kitchen for a while longer, thinking about Hiro. "His feelings for me hasn't changed at all. I thought for sure that by now he would at least develop something. I wonder what I am I doing wrong? Does he dislike me completely? Maybe I should just give up, and look for someone else. . ."

She then places her head down, and thinks for a while longer. As she thinks, memories of her mother and father flood her mind. As she thinks about them, she begins to feel nostalgic. A teardrop develops in her eyes as she remembers a time when she was resting on her mother's lap when she was just a little girl. She can almost remember how it feels when her mother stroked her hair.

As she was resting there, she could hear her mother saying, "Lumina, you grow more beautiful every day that passes. I wonder what sort of man you will meet when you grow up. I hope that you will meet a handsome young man who is both generous, and caring. Remember Lumina, just because someone may not come from a wealthy family, that doesn't mean that he is not the perfect person for you. I fell in love with your father not because of how much money he had, but how big his heart is. So please my dear sweet daughter, find someone who will make you happy. I believe in you."

Remembering those words her mother spoke gives her strength. She then stands up and cheers for herself saying, "No, I can't give up! I'll just have to try harder for Hiro. I know he's the one that will make mother and father proud." And so, she continues her daily routine with renewed hope in her heart.

**To Be Continued.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I'm going Lumina, thanks for breakfast!" said Hiro as he is leaving the house for his daily routines.

"Have a good day!" responded Lumina as she waves at Hiro from inside the house.

Before he runs off to do his chores, he turns back to Lumina and says, "Remember what we talked about yesterday."

Lumina nods and says, "I know, don't worry, I'll do my best too."

After Hiro is out of sight, Lumina sighs. The day before, Lumina and Hiro had a little chat over dinner about the recent events. Everyone believes that Hiro is married to Lumina, even though they are not even dating yet. Lumina was also caught red handed lying about looking for a husband. She hates lying, but she feels that she needs to in order to stay in the village long enough for Hiro to have some feelings for her.

Hiro and Lumina do get along great. But for some reason Lumina doesn't understand, Hiro has been keeping his distance. She has also noticed that Hiro has made many friends in the village, but no girlfriends. She has talked to Hiro every single evening over dinner, but there is just so much she doesn't know about him.

She nods and cheers for herself. Starting today, she will try harder to get to know Hiro, and hope that he will return her feelings soon. The first thing she does is to wash the dishes they used to have breakfast. She then makes a call to a local newspaper to have it delivered everyday. This way, she can at least give the impression that she is looking for a husband. Afterwards, she puts on her apron and bandanna on her head to get ready to clean the house.

After some chores, Lumina made some relax tea, and made some snacks for herself. She sips the tea as she reads a book that her mother once read to her when she was a child. She then takes a look at the time, and sees that Hiro must have left the farm by now to do other things around the village. At this point, she likes taking a stroll through the farm in order to pass the time.

She always waits for Hiro to leave so that she doesn't interrupt his work. As many times she has seen the farm, she becomes a bit more amazed at the work Hiro does. Since he has arrived, Hiro has brought much life to the farm, and every day, it looks a little bit better. What started as a single cow, the farm already has many cows and other animals grazing in the pasture. A horse given to him by Takakura, some sheep to make some warm wool, and a goat for milk with a unique flavor.

Lumina goes back in the house sometime in the afternoon, and feels like dusting a bit. She grabs her feather duster, and starts dusting the bookcase in the living room. But as she dusts the books, she notices something between them. Between two books, she pulls out a picture frame. As she wonders what was it doing in the bookshelf, She takes a look at the photograph, and sees Hiro in it standing next to a younger girl.

Hiro isn't much different from the picture, so Lumina knew that it must have been taken recently. They both look happy together. Hiro with a smile that she has yet to see from him. And the girl had a light yet pure smile on her as well. As she stares at the picture, she feels that she might recognize the girl. Her medium jet black hair and green eyes are a rare mix, and her emerald green, white, and black dress with gold weaving and matching hair band are symbols that she is from a wealthy family.

Over the years, Lumina has met with many other families, so chances are that she may have met her before. But she doesn't remember where or when this may have happened. The meetings only happened when she was only a child, and when her parents were still alive.

As Lumina began preparing dinner, she started to become even more curious about the photograph. She's quite curious about why was it hidden in a bookcase. She wonders if maybe Hiro was trying to hide it for some reason. And if he is, why would he, and from who?

Later that evening, Hiro arrived at his usual time, feeling hungry as usual. Dinner was already served when he arrived, and he takes his usual seat, and begins eating as usual. Although everything seems normal, Hiro begins to feel that something is a bit off. Lumina was quiet as they ate, and she seems like she was spacing out lost in thought.

Hiro becomes a bit concerned, so he asks, "Is everything okay? You seem lost, or worried about something."

Lumina gently places her fork down, and takes a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry. . ."

"You're sorry?" asked Hiro, "about what?"

She didn't answer him immediately. She hands him the framed picture she was hiding before saying, "I found this in the bookcase. I am not sure why it was there, but I got curious. I didn't mean to take it. . . So, I'm sorry."

As Hiro stares at the image, Lumina can see quite a bit of sadness in his eyes. By the sad look on his face, she knows that something must have happened between the two of them. Curiously, she asks, "So. . . What's the story with that picture?"

Hiro rests the photograph on the table and sighs before answering, "I took this picture sometime last year in the village I once lived before Forget-Me-Not Valley. The girl in the picture's name is Dia, she lived in a villa on a hill in Homeland. When I got to Homeland, there was this situation where some people wanted to demolish the village to make a theme park. But me and Dia together was able to stop them, and save the village.

"While we worked together, we sort of got real close. We started dating after the village was saved for some time. We were so happy, I felt that there wasn't anything that could pull us apart. But then her father came to visit, and he found out about us. He wasn't happy about it, and asked Dia to leave the village with him. She didn't even put up a fight, in fact, I think she wanted to leave.

"I stayed in the village for a little bit longer, hoping that maybe she was able to talk to her father and come back. But time passed, and she never came back. The next time I heard from her, she was getting married to some rich guy her father picked out for her. I couldn't believe that she actually consented to it, she even asked me to attend her wedding. I couldn't go, or even stay in the village for much longer. So I left, and came here to start over."

Hiro then takes a deep breath, and wipes a tear that was hanging off his eye. He then continues, "And that's the story. I guess I still haven't gotten over her completely, since I still hang on to this picture of us. I want to get over her, and move on with my life. But lets face it, I still love her. Even though she left me so easily, and got hitched with some guy she hardly knows, I can't stop thinking about her."

"I see, so that's it." said Lumina. After hearing his story, many of her questions were answered. She always thought that Hiro may not like her, or may not find her attractive. But the truth is that Hiro's heart still belonged to someone else. Someone he cannot be with. As long as Hiro feels this way, he cannot have any feelings for anyone else.

Lumina gathers up her courage and says, "Um, Hiro? I just want you to know that I-"

Before she could finish, Hiro gets up from his seat and says, "I'm going to my room now. Thanks for dinner." He then walks out of the kitchen taking the picture with him. Before going to his room, Hiro placed the photograph back to where it was in the bookcase. Even now, he still couldn't get rid of it.

Lumina looks over to Hiro's side of the table. Every night since Lumina has lived with Hiro, he had always finished his meal with no problems. But tonight, Hiro left his plate half full. She knows that Hiro is not mad or upset with her, but he does feel sad that he had to recollect such memories. She feels quite guilty about bringing it up, but at the same time, relieved that she knows what's going on in his heart. She was not doing anything wrong the whole time she has known him. The reason she could not get to him is because there is another girl in his mind.

That night as Lumina lays on her bed, she thinks about Hiro's situation. She could be living with him for the rest of her life, but her efforts are useless as long as Hiro's heart is still bound to someone else. She then remembers a past relationship she had not too long ago with someone from the village.

Lumina was seeing him for quite some time, and she also believed that they were going to be together forever. But things happened, and they ended their relationship just before her grandmother had passed away. Even though she has quite a past with her previous love, she was able to get over him, and move on. So she wonders why is Hiro's relationship so different?

As she continues to think, she feels that she may have an idea. Based on Hiro's story, she feels that his relationship may have ended too suddenly, and there was never any closure between them. Lumina was able to get over her previous love because they talked about it for a while, and decided it was best to end their relationship. But Hiro was still in love, and didn't want to accept that his love for Dia was over.

"If only I can get some closure between them, Hiro won't be so sad anymore," she whispered to herself before falling asleep.

The next day, Hiro continued to do his daily routine like he always does. To Lumina, it almost seems like yesterday's events never even happened. But even as he tries to hide it, even from himself, thoughts of the girl he once loved still plague his mind. After he left, Lumina takes a good look at the house. The house is clean enough, so taking the day off won't make a difference.

Instead of cleaning, Lumina spends the better part of the day writing a letter. She then leaves the farm, and heads over to the villa, careful that Hiro doesn't notice her go there. It has been quite a while since she last been there, so it puts her at ease that she is home now.

She knocks on the door, and waits for her butler Sebastian to answer. As he opens the door to the mansion, Sebastian's face lights up with excitement to see her. "Miss Lumina! It's so great to see you!" he yelled happily.

Lumina cannot help but to smile with him and say, "Hi there Sebastian. I'm home."

Lumina was invited inside, and tea was served. As she sips on her tea, she takes a look at her old home. She notices that Sebastian has done a very good job keeping the place clean. But at the same time, she also notices that the mansion looks exactly the same as it did since she last step foot inside. By the way the mansion is kept, she could tell that Sebastian has been very lonely, and keeps the mansion clean to keep his mind busy.

Sebastian sits down and says, "So, since you have returned, I can assume that you have found a husband?"

Lumina places her teacup gently on the table, and responds, "Not really. I know I shouldn't have come here until I have found someone. But I needed to be here. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." answered Sebastian. "We'll just consider this a friendly visit. I'm sure your grandmother would understand."

Lumina nods. After catching up on current events for about an hour, Lumina feels that it's time to get to the point of her visit. "Sebastian, I have a favor to ask you." she said in a serious tone.

"What is it Miss Lumina? If there is anything I can do to aid you, I will do anything in my power to grant it."

She then shows Sebastian the photograph of Hiro and Dia that she took from the book shelf again. After handing it over, she says, "That girl in the photograph, do you recognize her?"

Sebastian takes a long hard look. He is old, but his memory is well enough to remember. "Ah yes, she is from the Jardin family, her name is Dia if I remember correctly. We did some business with her father when you were 8 years old. I believe you two met for a short time."

"Is it possible you could find out where she lives right now?" asked Lumina.

Sebastian nods and says, "I could check Romana's records, and find out where the Jardin main house is. But why do you need to know if you don't mind me asking?"

Lumina nods, and pulls out a sealed envelope out of her pocket. "I need you to find a way for that girl to get this letter. It's very important, so I need to be sure it gets there."

Sebastian takes the envelope and says, "I'll do my best. It may take some time for it to reach them, but I will personally deliver it if I must."

Lumina then gives a great big hug to Sebastian saying, "Thank you so much! Please don't worry, I'll come home soon."

"I have faith in you Miss Lumina," he responded.

Time passed, and Lumina waits patiently for any response from Dia. She never told Hiro what she did, or is planning to do. She just pretends that she is looking for a husband like she usually does. During this time, Hiro finds Lumina reading through the newspaper looking at personal ads. He does become somewhat convinced that Lumina is searching, but he still does have his doubts.

Two weeks after Lumina paid Sebastian a visit, a response finally arrives. In fact, she got two letters. One for her, and the other is for Hiro. Lumina was thanked by Dia for taking such good care of Hiro since they met. Although Dia explained why she did what she did it was brief and not very detailed. Dia also asked Lumina not to read the letter she sent to Hiro.

She understands that whatever she had written Hiro is personal, and should be shared between them. So she never opened Hiro's letter. She was curious to know what she wrote to Hiro, but she wants to respect Hiro and Dia's privacy. She just kept the letter tucked away safely, and she will hand it over after dinner.

Hiro came home on time, and he ate dinner with Lumina naturally. Lumina does her best not to be nervous, even though she is almost terrified abut the contents. She would be a lot more confident if she knew what Dia write to him. She can only hope that the letter would finally give Hiro the closure he needs. But what scares Lumina the most if her plan would backfire, and make Hiro dislike her for getting involved in his affairs. Or worse yet, the possibility that the content of the letter would make Hiro love Dia even more.

After dinner, Hiro decides to retire to his room. Lumina stays in the living room thinking about her decision a second time. She is still worried about the outcome, especially since she is not sure about the content of the letter. She thought about just throwing away the letter, and leave things be the way they already are. But then she remembers why did she did this in the first place. Even if Hiro dislikes her after finding out Lumina was getting into his private life, if he could at least move on and get over his past love, she'll be content.

She hesitated to knock on his door, but she eventually conquered her fear, and got his attention. Hiro came out, and found Lumina quite nervous standing outside his room. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

Lumina nods, then pulls the letter out of her pocket. She then presents it to him saying, "This came for you today. Please don't be upset."

Hiro was not sure why did Lumina just say that. He just takes the letter, and checks who it was from. Not many people knows he lives in the valley, so it was quite unusual for him to be receiving letters. He gasps as he sees the familiar handwriting of the name written on the return address.

"I'll leave you be for now." said Lumina, knowing that Hiro may want to be alone. After closing the door, he takes a seat on the bed, wondering how did Dia find out where he is living, and why is she writing to him now. He then opens the sealed envelope, and wastes no time reading the contents:

_Dear Hiro,_

_It has been a while since we last seen one another. I invited you to my wedding, but I guess you could not make it. I received a letter by a friend of yours stating that you no longer live in Homeland, and is currently residing in a village called Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was quite surprised to find out that you left your grandfather's farm, it meant a lot to you. Then again, I was too._

_Your friend Lumina has also written so many things that has happened since you went to live in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I also read that you still keep that picture of us that we took after we rescued Homeland. Please do not be angry with Lumina, she only wrote what she did because she was concerned about you._

_I want to let you know that the feelings we had while we were together were in fact real. I did cherish you as much as you did. But I already knew that our love was not meant to be. But even though that was true, I still wanted to be with you as long as possible. I knew that sooner or later, my father would come get me. I knew that father would not approve of us seeing one another. I kept that a secret from you, because I thought that if you knew, you wouldn't want to be with me._

_Please understand that my feelings for you were real, even now I think that life would have been better if I would have ran away from home, and married you instead. But I love and respect my father just as much. I know it looked like if I didn't care, but it was a tough decision to make. To choose between you or my family was killing me inside._

_Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong choice, but I must see to it to the end. I'm sorry that I didn't choose you, but I guess I love my family a little bit more. So please, stop waiting for me. I will not come back to you, and you need to move on with your life. I'm so sorry how things turned out, I hope that you have it in your heart to forgive me._

_Please take care of yourself,_

_Dia_

After reading the letter, Hiro's teardrops begin to trickle on the letter. He didn't know that reading it was going to hurt so much. To him, it feels like his relationship has finally ended, and was allowed to cry over it. He thought that he was getting over her, but just as Dia mentioned in the letter, he was waiting for her to come back the whole time. Even after leaving homeland, in the deepest corner of his mind, he still thought that Dia was going to suddenly appear, and they would just continue like if they have never been apart.

All he was doing this whole time was running away from the truth. Even though he kept telling himself that the relationship between him and Dia was over, he has not made any effort to find someone else. Even when Lumina handed him the letter, he had thought that there was a possibility that Dia had left her husband behind, and is coming to be with him. But now it has become official, Dia has completely ended their relationship.

Hiro throws the letter away, and dries his face. The last thing he wants is to show Lumina that he was crying. He then walks out of his room, and reaches in the bookcase for the photograph. When Lumina hears that Hiro has left his room, she looks out to check on him. He is not crying, but there is sad painful look on his face.

"Where are you going?" she asked while Hiro walks out the door.

He stops for only a moment to say, "I want to be alone for a while. Don't follow me." Lumina nods and returns to her room.

Hiro takes a walk to the beach, and sits in the sand. It is now evening, so no one can see him there sulking alone. As he sits there holding the photograph, he begins to recall the experiences he had with Dia. When they first met, Dia was quite cold and hardly friendly. But after he found a way to save the home they both lived in, Dia agreed to help him. During that time, they both became very close friends, and even started to feel attracted to one another.

After they had saved their home, they took their relationship to the next step. How would he know that he would end up alone and heartbroken sitting in a beach? After Dia and Hiro were separated, his heart was playing tug-of-war between fantasy and reality. But now, he is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that his feelings are just wishful thinking.

After sitting in the beach for several hours, he feels that he is ready to let go. He takes the framed photograph, and hurls it into the ocean to sink in the bottom of the sea. He only hopes that the current will take it far away so that he will never have to see it again.

He then takes a deep breath, and yells as hard as he can, "I'm going to get over you!! I'm going to start over again, and this time, you won't be in my picture!! I PROMISE!!!"

He wasn't sure who he was yelling at. He knows that Dia is not going to hear him, but he still yelled out loud anyway. He thinks that perhaps, he was yelling at the memories of her that lay in his heart. At least yelling has made him feel a lot better. So he goes back home, and rests for the day.

Several days pass. Hiro and Lumina has hardly spoken since then. She wants to say something to him, but she is too nervous about how will he respond. Hiro on the other hand is still a bit depressed. But even though he is sad, he feels different. Almost like if something inside him was set free.

Summer is ending, and Fall is on it's way. One sunny morning, Lumina wakes up, and is getting ready to get breakfast started. But strangely, Hiro was up before her, and already started making breakfast.

Hiro's cooking is simple, but Lumina enjoyed it anyway. There was purity in it's simplicity which she liked. As they ate, Hiro began the conversation by saying. "Hey Lumina, I want to thank you."

"Thank me?" she answered. "But why?"

Hiro smiled and answered, "I think you know why."

Lumina smiles as she realizes what is Hiro talking about. He is thanking her for being concerned about him, and for helping him in his time of need. She sighs, and continues eating. Without even realizing it, she found something else she liked about him. Slowly but surely, Hiro is starting to become precious to her. She only wishes that soon, he would feel the same way about her.

To be continued.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fall has arrived in the small village of Forget-Me-Not Valley. There is a nip in the air, and everyone is bundling up with more heavier clothing and darker colors. Even Lumina is dressed up with a heavier blouse and skirt in dark green and olive colors. Hiro dresses lightly, but in darker colors like brown shirt instead of white, and green cargo pants instead of blue jeans.

The days are peaceful, and the nights are cool. The village runs like normal, but the farm still has it's moments . . .

"I don't have time for breakfast! I'm running late!" cried Hiro as he jolts out of his house.

"But it's not a good idea to work on an empty stomach. At least take the food with you!" answered Lumina while carrying a small basket with food.

Hiro turns around and says, "Listen, how many times do I have to tell you? You need to stop taking care of me so much, and worry about your search."

After saying that, he notices a surprised look on Lumina's face. At first, he did not know why she looks that way. But then he gets that awkward feeling that he is being watched from behind. Slowly, he turns around, and finds that his farm has a sudden visitor. And this visitor does not look too happy to see him.

The visitor is a young woman, about two or three years younger than Hiro. Her light brown hair is tied up in a ponytail. Orange and white T-shirt, a small apron over blue jeans, work shoes, red and black gloves, and a rucksack on her back. In short, a female farmer.

"Hey, who is that?" asks Lumina. But Hiro raised his hand, signaling her to not get involved. Obviously, they know one another. And this makes Lumina a little nervous.

The last time Lumina learned about a girl from Hiro's past, she found out that she had a rival for his affection. Now comes another girl who obviously came looking for him. Lumina doesn't know Hiro's past very well, she knows that he has lived in two other places before the Valley. What sort of past does he have with this new girl?

Lumina folds her hands and prays, "please let this not be another rival, please let this not be another rival, please let this not be another rival, I don't think I can handle another one. Please let this not be another rival."

Hiro walks up to the visitor to confront her. Lumina's heart pounds after every step he takes toward her. What will they say? What will they do? Where will this leave her?

After walking up to the visitor, Hiro scratches the back of his head nervously and says, "hey there. Long time no see. I meant to write sooner, but I-"

Before she allows him to finish talking, the visitor punches Hiro in the jaw. Lumina's skin suddenly turns white out of shock. Never did she expect such a reaction from a girl. But the visitor is not done yet. She continues to throw punches and kicks at Hiro yelling, "So here is where you are! I have been looking for you since Spring! Do you have any idea what how much trouble it was to find you!?"

As soon as Lumina can regain her composure, she runs to them to attempt to stop the brawl. She wants to stop her, but the visitor is wailing out so hard that if she tried she might get herself hurt too. So she keeps her distance and yells, "Stop it, you're hurting him! Will you stop beating him up. Stop it!"

"Stay out of this! This has nothing to do with-" as soon as she looks at Lumina's concerned face, she loses the will to fight. She then looks at Hiro who is nearly passes out from the thrashing. She takes a deep breath, and drops Hiro on the ground. Lumina rushes to his aid. Naturally, the visitor is curious as to who this girl is, and what sort of relationship do they have with each other.

Back in the house, Hiro is seated in the dining table. Lumina is trying to treat his injuries, but he resists. The visitor is sitting on the opposite side watching them.

"Ouch, that hurts! What did I just say about taking care of me? I can take care of myself," said Hiro covering his bloody lip.

"But you're bleeding. I don't want that to get infected," answered Lumina.

"A-HEM!" grunted the visitor gaining their attention.

There is a moment of silence before Lumina says, "Ummm. . . Hiro, who is our guest?"

Hiro sighs and answers, "This is Pony, she is my sister."

Lumina gasps, and she glows with excitement and yells, "Your sister? I can't believe it, I didn't know you had a sister! I can't believe I'm meeting a member of your family!" But then she thinks for a moment and asks, "but wait. . . If she's your sister, why did she beat you up?"

Pony slams her fist on the table, scaring Lumina, and answers, "because my big brother ran away from home, and he is now living here in the middle of no-where. Do you have any idea how worried mom and dad are back in Flowerbud Village?"

"I didn't run away from home," answered Hiro. "You know damn well that I decided to stay at Grandfather's farm back in Homeland."

"But you don't live there anymore, do you?" asked Pony. "If you didn't want to live at grandfather's farm, you were supposed to come back home. Not live here where nobody would find you! What were you thinking?"

"It's my right to live where I please!" answered Hiro.

Pony stands up stamping a foot. Lumina jumps back, fearing that there will be another brawl soon. Pony then slowly walks toward her brother with an angry look on her face while explaining, "listen you little bastard. Since you left, mom and dad started to train me to run the family business. I never wanted to be a farmer, but you did. Then you wanted to take over GRANDFATHER'S farm, not ours for whatever reason. But you abandoned that farm, and refused to come home and take over the farm in my place."

She then grabs Hiro by the collar and yells, "You are coming home right now, even if I have to drag your dead body back to Flowerbud Village! Do you hear me!?"

"Please! No more fighting!" cried Lumina.

Pony releases Hiro and takes a look at Lumina, "oh yeah, I forgot. Who is she?"

Hiro sighs again, and says, "her name is Lumina. She's my roommate."

"Roommate?" asked Pony.

"Roommate. . ." said Lumina in a sad disappointed tone.

"But you're a farmer. What does a farmer want with a roommate?" asked Pony curiously.

"That's right, I'm a farmer! I'm so late!" yelled Hiro making up an excuse to leave so he doesn't have to explain the situation. He grabs his tools and runs out. But before leaving, he turns and says, "Lumina, take care of my sister while I'm gone. I might be home late!" And with that, the door slams shut, leaving Lumina and Pony alone.

Pony sighs and says, "So what's your story? I don't buy the whole roommate story. Is my brother hiding something?"

Lumina then takes the time to explain the situation between them, and what her intentions are at the farm.

Pony's eyes widen as she yells, "You, you want to marry my brother?!" Lumina nods. Pony continues, "So, let me get this straight. You come from one of those rich families who live in a villa. Your grandma left you a whole bunch of money, but you must get married first. And instead of picking some rich fool, you want to marry my brother, a simple farmer?"

"Well, it's not that vulgar, but that's about right."

Pony sighs and explains, "Listen sister, you're making a mistake. My brother is not the guy you want. He's irresponsible, thoughtless, a jerk, and only cares about himself. Not to mention that he's coming home with me. So if I were you, I would just pack up, and find another farm to nest in."

"I'm not leaving!" demanded Lumina. Pony raises a brow in curiosity. "I know that you think poorly of Hiro, but that's because you're his sister. I have seen him in another light. Hiro is not irresponsible, he takes care of this farm all by himself, and brought back some life to a dying home. He is not thoughtless, cause when I was about to leave and find another home, he opened his door for me so I would be safe. And he is not what you call a 'jerk', because everyone here knows he's caring, thoughtful, and a loving member of the village. I fell in love with him because he has a pure heart, he works hard, and even if he's a bit distant, he cares about me. I know that he won't leave Forget-me-not Valley. And as long as he stays, I will be here for him. I am confident that he will feel the same way I do someday."

Hearing Lumina touches her heart. Such sweet words from a wealthy young woman. She always believed that wealthy people were arrogant and conceited. But Lumina surprises her; she is calm, sweet, demure, and mature. But at the same time, she is brave. She knows what she wants, and she will fight for it.

Pony sighs and says in her mind, "I don't get it. She's cute, modest, strong willed, and is inheriting a lot of money from her dead grandma. You would think anyone would want her, but here she is living with my brother. I wonder how does he feel about her? If he likes her, I might have a hard time getting him to come back home. And I don't want to go home by myself. Mom and dad will make me a farmer for sure. If only there was another way."

Then pony gets an idea. She looks at Lumina and thinks, "Wait a second! If my brother DOES marry her, then my brother technically owns half her fortune. Okay, let me think for a minute. . . Lumina marries my brother, we can then can hire a farmer to work at the farm back at home, then I don't have to work another day of my life!"

Pony glows with excitement. Lumina looks at her nervously wondering what Pony is thinking about. "Umm. . . Are you okay?"

Pony then takes Lumina's hands and announces, "Lumina, you pass!"

"Pass? What did I pass?"

"You have my permission to marry my brother!"

Lumina gasps, but laughs sheepishly saying, "I'm glad that you approve, but it won't matter. As long as Hiro doesn't approve, I cannot marry him."

"Oh really? I can fix that," says Pony.

To be continued.


End file.
